Full Circle: First Date
by ss9
Summary: Post Full Circle pre Xena God Fearing Child. How did Zeus persuade Hera to remarry him? 1st of series of drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

The war had ended just as Hercules had insisted but peace was far from established. It felt as if they were in some kind of limbo, a fragile truce that would shatter at the first cross word and so they said nothing.

Their return to Olympus had been triumphant, his children and the lesser gods had been shaken by Atlas's attack yet the sight of their King, his Queen once more by his side, had calmed them quickly. His pride in his wife had swelled as she quickly began to organise the others, there had been significant damage to the Olympians lofty home and repairs needed to be made. Hera threw herself into the work, determined to see the palace restored to its former glory or was it just to avoid him? In the past week she had not spent more than a scant few minutes in his company and then never alone. She had not returned to their bed to sleep, so either she was working all hours or she had found herself another bedchamber.

What was a god to do?

Zeus was perplexed he had never encountered a problem like this before. So perplexed was he that he found himself darkening the doorstep of Aphrodite, who despite her flighty appearance and attitude was after all the goddess of love, who had several words of wisdom for him.

"If you wish for her trust you must prove yourself worthy, if you wish to be bestowed with her favour you must first do something to earn it. Have you sought out her company?"

"No I felt it best to give her time to adjust...I..."

"You were afraid...Yes you were daddy, of being rejected." Aphrodite insisted. "However you must act soon before this avoidance becomes habit."

"I know flowers... Jewellery I could ask Hephaestus..." Zeus broke off under Aphrodite's disapproving frown.

"This is Hera we are talking about here daddy not some naive little princess, you've already been around the temple once before so I think it's going to take something a little more special than a new diadem or bracelet. No you have to be more original than that, give her something that you haven't given anyone else."

"Now my dear you have lost me."

"You...Not just the normal attention you would bestow on one of the mortals but plan something, spend some time alone together. Do something fun!"

"Fun?" Zeus asked his immortal brow rose in disbelief.

"Fun!" Aphrodite insisted popping another chocolate into her mouth before shooing Zeus out of her chambers.

- - -

Tugging nervously on his robes Zeus paused to compose himself before striding confidently into the main hall. There Hera had Hephaestus assembled as she detailed the next stage of repairs.

"Father." Hephaestus greeted Zeus politely yet warily, his eyes darting between the King and Queen of the Gods as if waiting for the other shoe to drop and the pair to suddenly start flinging fire balls and lightning bolts.

"Zeus." Hera added, hesitantly accepting the hand her husband offered in greeting. "I understood you were down on earth." The statement was simple yet both could hear the underlying question, 'with who?' Hephaestus also picked up on the tense undercurrent and excused himself quickly.

"I was indeed...I have something to show you my dear, however you will need to change." Zeus replied and with flick of his fingers his wife's normal elaborate outfit of silk and feathers transformed into a simple but elegant blue dress that poured over her slender body. Conjuring a light shawl he draped it decorously over her shoulders allowing himself the luxury of trailing his fingers down her bare arms.

"Where are you taking me?" Hera asked perplexed by her husband's sudden attentions.

"Close your eyes."

"Zeus!"

"Trust me." Zeus cajoled catching her hand and pulling her close.

"Humph...I have work to do."

"We have others to do that for us."

"Who need to be supervised."

"One day Hera...One day out of a millennium can you not give me that?" Zeus asked a hint of exasperation and longing in his voice that even his wife could not deny.

"Alright, one day!"

"Now close your eyes." Zeus insisted. "No peeking." He added, placing his hands over his wife's eyes before transporting them away. "Now open your eyes."

"Oh...Oh Zeus it's beautiful." Hera gasped her eyes widening as she took in the rolling hillside, covered in sweet grasses, poppies and gladioli, where blossoming fruit trees sprang up out the ground and daisies formed delicate little fairy rings.

"I am glad you think so." Zeus muttered softly his hands still resting gently on his wife's shoulders. "Come." He added guiding his wife over to a relatively flat spot before snapping his fingers once more and a blanket appeared. Lowering himself down onto its soft weave Zeus patted the space beside him and reached out for his wife.

Yet this romantic gesture seemed to have quite the opposite affect than the one he intended for Hera backed away as if struck, her eyes flashing angrily. "I should have known this was all you had in mind when you dragged me here! Are you incapable of thinking of anything else?" Hera demanded her eyes flitting between her husband and blanket before returning to her husband's confused face.

"A picnic." Zeus replied snapping his fingers and revealing the tempting spread.

"Oh." Hera gasped, her pale cheeks staining pink with embarrassment. "I thought...Oh well it doesn't matter." She bluffed before lowering herself to sit on the very edge of the blanket as far from her amused husband as possible.

Suppressing a smile Zeus caught his wife's hand pulling her closer to him as his other hand captured her chin forcing her to meet his gaze. Stroking her cheek he leaned closer until her heated breath tickled the strands of his beard. "Perhaps we will have the chance to explore your idea later?"

---

Leaning back against the smooth bark of a supporting cherry tree Zeus closed his eyes and enjoyed the warming rays Helios cast down from the sky. For the first time in more than millennia he felt completely at peace, his stomach was pleasantly full of the best of Demeter's bounty and he had been lulled into a contented doze by the sweet wine Dionysus had personally selected for the outing. Yet Zeus knew the real reason for his contentment was not more than ten feet away indulging in a very private passion. Chuckling under his breath he wondered what Hercules would make of this, the mighty goddess Hera scourge of unfaithful husbands and lovers pausing to sniff the flowers.

"What prey dear husband is so amusing?"

"Nothing wife." Zeus replied yet he was unable to suppress the laughter in his voice.

"You are laughing at me?"

Opening one eye at her curt tone, just in case she was preparing to throw a fireball, Zeus retorted gently. "Not at you my dear, just at our situation, I was wondering what certain people's reactions would be if they could see us like this?"

"By people I assume you mean your son." Hera snapped yet for the first time there was no real venom in her verbal lashing, clearly Hercules saving Evander had had a greater effect on the goddess than Zeus had realised.

"Yes." Zeus replied honestly. "I was thinking of Hercules, I think he would die from shock seeing you like this."

"Really you mean that was all it would have taken? And to think I wasted my time constructing all those damn monsters and ruining my reputation when all I needed to do was to be nice to the dratted whelp." Hera quipped before returning her attention to the flowers she was coaxing to full bloom.

Suppressing a smile Zeus rose gracefully to his feet, stalking silently over to his wife he surprised her by sliding his arm around her slender waist and pulling her to him, so that her back moulded into his broad chest. "So wife where should we go from here?" He murmured into her ear unable to suppress his delight at her playful reply. "I'll leave that to you dear husband."


	2. Chapter 2

"When I said I would leave the choice to you husband dear I was at least expecting a pleasant surprise."

The sarcasm in Hera's voice was laid on heavily and once upon a time such a tone would have raised Zeus's hackles but it seemed in their time apart he had even grown to miss her sarcastic wit. Turning back to his wife Zeus smiled as her less than impressed ice blue eyes peered out at him, glinting even in the shadow of her cloak.

A cloak Zeus had conjured himself to keep her warm from the early morning breeze that blew in off of the sea. Not that a goddess could really feel the cold in the way the mortals did, by contrast they scurried about their business, the market area already busy as farmers brought their produce in from their farms to sell and traders set up their own stalls. All the while oblivious to the pair of immortals who wandered amongst them disguised from mortal eyes, appearing to the humans as a wealthy handsome couple and nothing more.

"You did say you wanted to get out of the house more often." Zeus teased reaching back and catching Hera's hand, pulling his reluctant wife along beside him.

"Yes but this wasn't quite what I had in mind." Hera retorted, her delicate noise crinkling as she passed a pen of pigs who stunk to high heaven…and their owner who smelt almost as bad. "Why bring me here…among these…"

"They are our children just as much as the rivers and mountains my dear." Zeus chided Hera slightly. "Besides I think you will be impressed at some of their accomplishments."

"Mortals." Hera muttered mainly to herself watching as her foolish husband was drawn into banter with some fisherman over the quality of his catch. "I will never understand your fascination with them."

"That is only because you haven't spent enough time with them!" Zeus insisted turning back to meet his wife's gaze. "I want you to understand…there is so much joy in their creation, so much for us to take pride in. Is it so wrong to want to be able to share this with you?"

To that Hera had no answer…no there was nothing wrong in wanting to share his thoughts and feelings with her but did he have to start with mortals? The one creation that had caused her the most pain. If Zeus thought spending a day in a stinking market surrounded by humanity was going to miraculous change her opinion of mankind then he was more deluded than she thought.

As far as Hera was concerned humanity embodied all of the worst characteristics and too few of the positive ones…they were so weak and faithless, they were like children only concerned with themselves and there here and now, never thinking ahead and considering their actions…Why take that foolish mortal right in front of her…

Hera watched as the old hunchbacked man searched and counted out whatever coinage he had on him, and was it for food or clothing that he spent the last of his coin…no it was on drink, wasting the last of his money on a container of wine.

"What has gotten you frowning now?" Zeus asked bemused as his wife continued to ignore him in favour of staring in disgust at some pathetic mortal.

"Just listen to him." Hera scoffed before turning back to her husband. "How you find anything admirable in this race I will never understand."

"Oh thank you...Thank you Cassius I shall not forget your kindness…May the gods bless you." The peasant grovelled and Zeus had to admit perhaps this hadn't been the best way to try and showcase humanities greater attributes.

Even the trader seemed offended by the man's cringing. "Just don't spread it around I don't want to be bankrupted. Now go before your wife realises you have vanished!"

"So he may not be a warrior or even a great thinker but he is at least devout and a devoted husband." Zeus argued rolling his eyes as his wife merely harrumphed in reply, her eyes locked on the servile little man who could barely carry the jar of wine by himself. In fact he staggered under the weight before accidentally knocking into a few larger and well-dressed men who turned on him in anger.

"Forgive me…" The peasant began only for his words to dry in his throat as one of the men took the jar from his arms and raising it high then threw it down to the floor. Hitting the ground with a terrible crack the jar broke and the sacred wine spilled out like blood over the ground.

Falling to his knees the peasant scrabbled trying to put the jar together to hold onto the last new dregs but they trickled through his fingers as tears fell down his cheeks. "No…Oh Zeus help me!"

Laughing the thugs merely kicked wine sodden dirt in his face. "Well cripple that is what happens when you don't pay attention to where you are going."

"But my daughter's wedding… the wine was to be the offering to Hera...My wife will never forgive me..." The man sobbed turning his pleading his eyes on the crowd before getting to his feet and staggering back to the wine merchant who shifted uncomfortably under the old man's gaze.

"Cassius please couldn't we come to some sort of arrangement..."

"I am sorry Regulus but that was the last cheap barrel I simply cannot afford to assist you." The wine merchant began.

"Then let me." Zeus interjected pulling a leather pouch from beneath his toga, ignoring Hera's startled gasp. "How much for your best wine Master Cassius."

"5 dinars a Jar." The merchant replied stunned as a moment before he could have sworn there was no one there and now this couple seemed to have appeared as if from nowhere.

"Excellent then we shall take two." Zeus added counting out ten glinting gold pieces into the stall keeper's sweaty palm.

Astounded by the expected kindness of generosity that was too much for Regulus to accept. "Oh kind sir I could not accept such a generous gift...There is no need for charity the God's will provide, they always have before, I will find some other offering for the goddess."

"How do you know this is not the god's will?" Zeus questioned with a chuckle, pushing aside the man's objections. "Please I insist"

"But..."

"I assure you I will not be swayed from this action Master Regulus." Zeus insisted, infusing his mortal voice with some of his godly majesty and power. After all he was Zeus, even is disguise what right had a mortal to argue with his will?

Placing a restraining hand on Zeus's arm Hera chided him for his temper with a look. "What my husband means to say is please accept them as a wedding present to bless your daughters happy day and with them our fondest thoughts and blessings, after all such a day should be one of joy and not a moment of strife should enter it."

Bowing his head slightly Regulus reluctantly accepted, something about this powerful couple convinced he dare not to do otherwise. "In the face of such kindness and such beauty how could I possibly refuse?"

"Good." Zeus added. "So that is settled…I wish you well Master Regulus…"

"However in some small way I must offer recompense." Regulus cut in surprising Zeus; no one had dared to talk over him in centuries, well if you discounted Hera and Hercules. "I insist if you and your lovely wife do not have other plans I would be honoured to invite you to attend the wedding...Please I must insist after all it is only right that you sample some of your wedding present."

Amused by the dumbstruck expression on her husband's face Hera had to stifle a laugh. It seemed mortals may have a use after all, if only to bring Zeus down a peg or two, and since this whole outing had been his idea let him suffer through it some more.

"We have no pressing engagements and would be honoured to attend." Hera answered before Zeus could decline her smile only growing as she felt her husband buzz with anger at her impudence. "Come my dear it should prove educational if nothing else." Hera teased low enough for only her husband's ears.

Harrumphing himself Zeus had no choice than to offer Hera his arm, easily lifting the second wine jar with his superior strength as the crippled Regulus struggled under the weight of the first leading them out of the marketplace and towards the docks.

"I am afraid it will be more simple than you are used to. I hope our humble festivities will not be too far beneath you." Regulus called back, envying the older man for his stronger frame, which despite the long silver mane proved to be stronger than Regulus's own.

"The richness of a gathering is in the character's of those persons present not in the lavishness of the arrangements, or so I have always believed." Zeus answered primly much to Hera's amusement.

"Thank you...Although I fear my wife may be slightly overwhelmed by the presence of such important people at our little gathering and may not share such noble sentiments." Regulus added as they came to their destination, a small fishing boat moored up against harbour wall, the sides and rigging decorated with wild flowers. It was simple but festive.

"In that thought women, I believe, are universal." Zeus retorted this time much to Hera's displeasure.

"Regulus where have you been? Jonas's parents have been here above an hour and I have had nothing to offer them...Oh...I forgive me My Lord...My lady..." The wife's rant quickly came to an end as she caught sight of the guests with her useless husband, guests dressed far finer in what was for them everyday where than the bridal family was in their finest garb.

"Miriam fear not everything is hand but please let me introduce...forgive me but in all the excitement I forgot to even ask your names." Regulus babbled as his wife attempted to gather her calm and fix her appearance.

"My name is Pankratios and this lady I am honoured to call wife is known as Hypatia." Zeus replied as he smothered a smile at Hera's bemused expression at his selection of names for them.

"We are honoured by your presence please let me get you some refreshments." Miriam insisted ushering her new guests aboard and to a prize spot at the stern of the boat where the more expensive looking cushions provided a place for guests to rest their ease.

"Tell me Pankratios dear how do you think our hosts would react if they knew you chose your name literally?" Hera hissed her eyes narrowing at her husband's amusement as Zeus escorted her to their seat.

Sinking into the soft cushion Zeus chose to silence any more of her objections, pressing his lips briefly to hers he relished Hera's sudden intake of breath before adding, "Hush wife."


	3. Chapter 3

Seated at the stern of the boat Zeus took a deep breath of the fresh cleansing sea air. It had been centauries since he had enjoyed a trip across Poseidon's domain. The two brothers had always kept a respectful distance from one another, Zeus knowing just how prickly his older brother could be about his dignity. After all it couldn't be easier to bow in allegiance to a younger sibling, even one who was responsible for saving your life.

So even though he was the King of the Gods Zeus allowed Poseidon free reign over the oceans that was his brother's kingdom to rule and Zeus knew better than to tweak his brother's pride by interfering.

So he had kept away…until today…

And it seemed despite their disguise his and Hera's presence hadn't gone completely unnoticed by this rarely visited part of their domain.

First it had been a flock of dolphins that had jumped and tumbled their way through the surf alongside the wedding barge delighting the numerous guests who had ahhhed in enjoyment of this unexpected entertainment. Of course the mortals still remained ignorant that the display of joy and welcome was not for them. They didn't even cotton on when the lead dolphin swam up close to the stern of the boat and cawed a greeting that only the two immortals could understand.

Reaching down Zeus favoured this creation with a benevolent smile as he stroked the smooth domed head passing on his gratitude telepathically. Satisfied the dolphin group continued to escort them for several miles before breaking away as other larger vassals of the sea came to pay tribute to their high king.

Giant whales splashed their huge tails in the water causing a refreshing spray in the midday heat causing the ladies in the party to shriek and complain about their hair and the effect on their best outfits. Not that Hera was one of them. In stark contrast his queen remained upright by his side, her beautiful blue eyes locked on the displays of allegiance that were being performed before them.

She was so strong and Zeus felt a fluttering of pride for this powerful goddess who had agreed to be his wife. She was the only one worthy of the throne by his side.

"You are staring again." Hera's voice was low but Zeus could hear the scarcely heard amusement in her voice, so at least his scrutiny was not unwelcome.

"With such beauty before me can you blame me?" Zeus questioned delighting in the way his wife turned and tried to hide the heat in her face…even after a millennium he could still make her blush it seemed and that knowledge brought similar warmth to his own heart.

"You always were too smooth of tongue husband." Hera retorted warningly her ice blue eyes narrowing as she turned her appraising gaze back on her rogue of a husband. All too often he had turned that silver tongue of his on the many mortal females who fell for his charms most of them oblivious to the fact that it was Zeus himself seducing them.

As flattering as it was to suddenly have her husband's attentions all to herself once more Hera couldn't completely silence the part of herself that questioned how long? How long this time before he became bored of playing the devoted husband and went looking for new distractions?…new distractions in the form of a mortal princess or flighty scantily clad nymph…

Yet Zeus wasn't oblivious to his wife's shifting mood, her eyes had always given Hera away at least to him and right now they looked suspicious and wary…wary of him…

Sighing deeply Zeus glanced back to make sure the mortals were appropriately distracted before moulding his body to Hera's rigid form. Encircling her waist as he pulled her back against his chest Zeus felt her momentary resistance before she gave in and sagged back into the warmth this mortal shell offered. "Darling please…"

"Don't Darling me Husband you drop sweet honeyed words in my ear as if I were one of your naive little conquests." Hera's voice was clipped even as she fought her own war. Part of her wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind, to throw herself and her heart once more into her husband's keeping but the memories of past heartbreak held her back.

"Why now? Why this sudden change of heart? If I could understand that at least I might be able to find a way to sort through this…"

"There was nothing sudden about it I never stopped loving you." Zeus insisted much to his wife's perplexion and Zeus the silver tongued stumbled hesitantly over his explanation.

"It was a question of greed and humility…or more to the point a lack of it." Zeus stuttered watching as Hera's brow drew together in a deep frown.

"I was king of everything I was enamoured with my own power and importance. I was so fixated on proving that I could, that there was nothing beyond my grasp that I never for one moment stopped to think if I should."

"I see." Hera added icily pulling away, hardly the reaction Zeus had been hoping for as she drew away from him her voice rising as she added hotly.

"Is that what this is then…I mean after all the little fools you have bedded there can hardly be any challenges left…Save the greatest challenge of all, winning me back after all that you put me through…You haven't changed in the slightest have you? You are just playing another one of your stupid little games…"

"Darling…" Zeus warned her, his voice deep and clipped. "That is not the case you are twisting my words."

"Oh am I?" Hera snapped, raising her hand in preparation of escape her fingers close snapping when her husband grasped them between his own and held her firmly in place.

"Yes you are and you are making quite the scene." Zeus added as he could feel the curious eyes of the wedding party boring into his back just as his wife's blazed into his own, her anger stirring the barely raked coals of his own emotions.

"Frankly Darling…" Hera's tongue coated the endearment with contempt. "I don't give a damn."

"Good!" Zeus snapped his patience with her temper tantrum at an end even though her anger caused her beautiful face to flush and her bosom to heave most attractively. Muffling her decidedly ungodly squeak of protest Zeus claimed her mouth with his own, ignoring her pitiful attempts to push him aside.

The kiss was hard, heated and full of barely restrained lust.

It was only the audience of whooping and catcalling mortals that stopped Zeus from pushing his one and only wife down on their cushioned seat and proving there and then how little this was a game to him.

Finally when his own restraint was too close to breaking point Zeus broke their kiss, his dark eyes hooded and clouded with lust as he stared down into his wife's stunned eyes and kiss swollen lips. Pressing the length of himself against her as he pressed Hera back against the stern of the boat Zeus savoured her gasp of surprise and the way her lust coloured her normally alabaster cheeks.

"Tell me wife…" Zeus whispered his voice gravelly with desire as their eyes locked and their gazes held. "Does that feel like pretence to you?"


End file.
